ITALY: Italian Tourist Viciously Mauled By Rottweiler

An Italian tourist seeking directions has been seriously injured after being attacked by a rottweiler in Darwin’s northern suburbs.

The dog came at Gabriella Mostosi through an open gate in Nakara when she stopped to ask directions to Casuarina Beach from a woman standing on the footpath.

Ms Mostosi, 58, needed at least 20 stitches to bite wounds at the top of her inner left thigh following the attack.

The owner of the dog allegedly offered no assistance following the attack, instead telling a shaken Ms Mostosi to ride to hospital and then simply pointing her in the direction of RDH.

“I started to go that way but being unfamiliar with the way to the hospital I rode back along Trower Rd to Vanderlin Drive, then by many streets through Wanguri to Lyons suburb,” Ms Mostosi said.

When she reached Lyons, a man recognized she was in distress and took her to the emergency department at RDH.

The attack occurred at 11.30am on Wednesday but because she became lost trying to find the hospital, Ms Mostosi was not admitted for treatment until just after 2pm.

It is claimed the dog has attacked a person before and there was a City of Darwin “dangerous dog” notice on the fence of the yard the Rottweiler came from.

Ms Mostosi has limited English but friend John Wilkins yesterday described the owner as “negligent” saying she should be charged over the attack.

“Other friends said that two or so years ago a man was bitten by the same dog,” he said.

“The Council took no action then. It’s frightening, it’s really incredible.”

Ms Mostosi has filed a formal written complaint with the City of Darwin over the attack.

In her statement to council, Mostosi said the attack occurred on Trower Rd when she stopped to seek directions from “an elderly woman”.

“While I was speaking to her a dog came out through an open gate and attacked me, biting me hard on my left upper leg making me fall over to the right of my bicycle,” she said.

“The woman did not help me up or say she was sorry but just said ‘ride your bicycle to the hospital’ and pointed to Delamere Rd.

“I would have expected her to offer to take me to hospital in her car but was unable to ask her in English.”

A City of Darwin spokesman said council was aware of the attack and were “actively investigating” the matter.